


Tony Stark's Five Step Master Plan

by aimee_stark



Category: Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Pepper obviously ships them, Tony has a crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-22
Updated: 2012-11-22
Packaged: 2017-11-19 06:56:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/570460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aimee_stark/pseuds/aimee_stark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Okay, I have come to the conclusion that yes, yes I do have a crush. Also, yes, said crush is male.”<br/>Initiate the 'Five Point Plan' to get Bruce Banner...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tony Stark's Five Step Master Plan

**Author's Note:**

  * For [checkmate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/checkmate/gifts).



Step 1: Admit you have a crush.

 

“You _do!”_ Pepper gasped and pushed Tony playfully in the arm, “I know you, Tony, and you have a crush!”

“What?! No! No. No I do not. Definitely not.” Tony pushed back, he tried so hard to hide it, but Pepper was so good at calling his bluff. 

“Who is she? You can tell me, Tony, my lips are sealed. Promise” 

Tony looked up at her with a guilty glint in his eye but said nothing.

“Who is… he? _He?!_ It’s a guy, isn’t it?”

“No!” He quickly rose to his feet, “no, I am Tony Stark, Potts, I like _boobs_!” With that, he stormed out of the room. His room, his room in his house.

Tony had stormed off to his bedroom, and slumped on his bed. _Shit_ , he thought, _I have a crush on him._ Nope, not good. _Shit!_

Bruce Banner was not Tony’s type, except that he was so adorable that his heart skipped a beat every time he looked Tony’s way. And Tony was not the type to have a crush on someone else, people came to him, not the other way around!

Well, if there was one thing he was willing to admit, it was that Tony Stark always gets what he wants.

  

Step 2: Attract crush’s attention (in a totally cute and not at all boring way)

“Okay, I have come to the conclusion that yes, yes I do have a crush. Also, yes, said crush is male.” Tony eventually left his room, and found Pepper where she hadn’t moved since his little tantrum.

“You see! I _knew_ it!”

“Of course you did, you know everything.”

“So?”

“So?” He repeated, eyebrow raised.

“So who is it?” She began to pester.

“Oh – I – you… you wouldn’t know him, don’t worry.”

“Tony!” Pepper snapped, “I will find out one way or another, and this way doesn’t involve me hurting you. Spit it out.”

 He exhaled through his nose, “Banner.”

“Bruce Banner? Oh, _I_ know Bruce! You could do so much worse,” she paused, thinking. “You have done so much worse.”

“So what do I do?”

“What do you want to do?”

Tony was silent again; he didn’t actually know what he wanted to do. Well that was a first.

Pepper sighed, “Do you want him to know or do you want it to eat away at you every time you look at him?”

“Well, I would prefer to not drive myself insane, so I guess I want him to know… maybe?”

“How are you going to tell him?”

“I have no idea.”

They both sat in silence for a minute or two, thinking about a cute way to let him know.

“I have an idea, Pepper, it may take a while – “

“Oh God – “

“But it’s cute – “

“Oh God, no – “

“It will involve failing a class – “

“Tony! No. You can’t do that, that’s ridiculous!”

“Why not? I – at least listen to rest of my plan, gosh, so rude…”

“Fine, fine, I’m sorry, carry on.”

“Do you remember that time I was failing English class? And they made Thor tutor me until I got my grades up? And now we’re like, bros?”

“So you’re going to fail a class you’re already good at so Bruce will tutor you and then you can… what? Molest him whilst he’s trying to help you?”

Tony stared blankly at her. _When you put it that way…_ “Yes that is exactly what I’m going to do.”

This could work. Maybe. Probably not, actually, but it was worth a shot, anyway.

 

Step 3: Execute plan

Tony decided to fail Physics, since Bruce was pretty guaranteed to be picked to tutor him – being top of the class, and all. It was simple, all did was drop a few marks on every assignment, every bit of homework, every bit of class work. After three months, their Professor finally asked to speak to them after class.

“Stark, I don’t know what’s happening to your grades, but you were one of my best students and now you’re practically bottom of the class!” He didn’t sound as angry as Tony had expected. Bruce had been kept behind, too, it looked as though the plan was falling into place perfectly. “I think, for your benefit, you should have someone tutor you, just until your grades start to improve. So, Stark, Banner, Banner, Stark. I’m sure you’ll hit it off just fine.”

Pepper and Tony had never actually planned this far ahead. It’s not like either of them thought this would work, anyway, but here he was.

He looked Bruce up and down. He was a bit shorter than Tony, he wore ill fitting jeans and a plaid button down shirt, black converse sneakers, a simple black backpack, square glasses, and silver braces lining his teeth. Adorable, really. He had big brown eyes and dark curly hair that Tony _really_ wanted to run his hands through ( _calm down, Stark, that’s a little creepy)._

“So, when do you want to do this thing?” ‘Thing’ probably wasn’t the best word for it, oh well.

“Whenever’s best for you, I’m free anytime,” Bruce looked up into his eyes. _Yeah, he has amazing eyes, don’t stare, you’re being creepy again._ “Probably why he chose me to tutor you, I guess.”

“I’m free tonight, if that’s good with you? Meet me at my locker after school, I know a place.”

“I’ll be there!”

Tony mentally fisted the air with pure pride. He should probably think of what to say before the end of school, which would be a good plan.

  

Step 4: Expand on Step 3

The bell signalling the end of the final period rang sharply through the school. It was shortly followed by the sounds of the hustle and bustle of students eager to get home. Tony took his time packing his things away; he didn’t want to seem too eager for this perfectly routine tutoring session.

Eventually, he was the last one left in the classroom. He sighed loudly, he considered backing out now. What if Bruce didn’t feel the same way? What if he thought he was a creep? He probably would. Tony thought he was being a creep, of course Bruce would feel the same.

He sucked it up anyway and made way for his locker carrying the books he would shove in there.

“Hey,” Bruce was already there, leaning against a locker nose deep in a book. A big book. “So where are you taking me, anyway?”

Tony couldn’t keep himself from staring, the sight was beyond adorable, but he kept his smile small. Normal. _Not creepy._ “Oh just a little coffee shop not far from here, they do a mean vanilla latte!”

“My favourite!” Bruce looked up from his book with a toothy (and bracey) smile. Tony just wanted to grab him by the collar and kiss him there and then. _Creepy. Stop it, Stark._

They walked there in relative silence, Tony was still nervous about the whole thing. They weren’t strangers in any sense of the word, they’ve had plenty of conversations in the past. Usually about science or nerdy stuff like that. He was nice, ridiculously nice, he was hiding a darker side, though, that most of the school knew about. Mental note taken to not mention the douche who insulted his mother. Definitely something to avoid.

They reached the café, after what seemed like an eternity to Tony. He held the door open for the other boy, smiling at the thanks he received in response. _The little things._

“Okay, serious question before we get down to ‘business’,” _well that sounded overtly sexual – creepy! Stop!_ “What the hell happened?! You were getting straight As - Hell you were getting better grades than me when you actually gave a damn! Now you’re failing? How?”

Tony could feel his heartbeat in his ears, _it’s now or never, say it, say something, do something – anything!_ “I – okay I think I should tell you something.”

“O-okay?” Bruce muttered, barely audible.

“I’m not… I’m not actually bad at physics, you know that, I just… Okay, you know Pepper, right? Of course you do, everyone does,” Bruce nodded along at Tony’s babbling, “well, she said I should tell you that… Oh God… tell you that I, kinda, maybe, like you a little bit. A lot. Yeah, I like you a lot, that’s the problem.”

Bruce stared across the table at him bright eyed, mouth slightly ajar, “are you saying what I think you’re trying to say?”

“That I _like_ you? Yeah, that’s what I’m saying, it’s cool if you don’t feel the same way, I don’t… I don’t mind.” Tony wrung his hands, avoiding eye contact with the other boy, who – much to Tony’s surprise – hadn’t upped sticks and left. “You’re still sat there, that’s either a good sign or a very bad sign…”

 “So you failed a class on purpose to get me to tutor you, but instead of me helping you with your grades, you would confess your… _liking_ for me instead?” Tony nodded at the question, “That’s kind of… extreme. Really, I mean, people usually go to these measures to _avoid_ me, I’m kind of flattered.”

Tony broke out into a grin at that, so it was a good thing. Good. Very good. “So I… would you mind if I…?” he pointed a finger between them, but before he could receive an answer, Bruce stood up out of his chair, leaned over and pressed his lips gently to Tony’s. He responded, quickly, parting his lips a little, before Bruce pulled away and sat back down. Both boys had matching shy grins on their faces, and a few eyes were on them at this point. Not that either of them cared.

“You said this place did a mean vanilla latte?” Bruce asked with a smirk.

They ordered their drinks. The rest of the evening was spent in the café, talking about their various interests. The conversation flew freely. Both of them felt comfortable around the other, it was perfect. It had gone better than Tony could have expected in his wild dreams.

  

Step 5: Flaunt it

 

The next day, Tony spotted Bruce getting some books out of his locker. He couldn’t resist sneaking up behind him and pulling his earphones out. Because Tony was an ass and liked to flaunt it.

“Good morning, sunshine!” Tony beamed.

“Morning, Tony,” Bruce smiled back, a little more reserved.

“What’s wrong?” Tony asked, a little concerned. He hadn’t been very reserved when they were talking in private last night.

“Nothing’s wrong, why?”

“You’re just a bit… quiet, is all.”

“I just… assumed you wouldn’t be, like, flaunting… _us –_ if there even is an _us?_ ”

“Really? How’s this for an answer to that?” Before Bruce barely had time to look up, Tony grabbed his shirt collar and shoved him roughly against his locker. A few conversations around them drew quiet, most of them probably expecting a fight. Taking no notice, Tony shoved his lips against Bruce’s in a desperate and forceful kiss. Bruce kissed back eagerly, parting his lips a little and accepting Tony’s tongue which was flicking slowly against his bottom lip. Their tongues explored each other’s mouths eagerly, probably a little too… obscene for in the middle of a school corridor, but Tony was never one for modesty.

Tony pulled away for breath first. He looked Bruce dead in the eyes and whispered softly, “there’s definitely an _us_.”

There were dozens of pairs of eyes on the couple. Some staring at them, mouths gaping open, a group of girls were giggling quietly in a little group, and a few lockers down, Pepper caught Tony’s eye. He shot her a brief wink, and then leaned in to Bruce for another hungry kiss.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was the first fic I've written that I'm actually proud of.  
> And I successfully out-fluffed myself.


End file.
